Born in Shropshire, Will Sommers (or William Somer according to some sources) got to know Richard Fermor, a merchant of the Calais staple, (
The staple was a system of trade and taxation used during the medieval period in England) which led him to Greenwich in 1525 where he was presented to King Henry V111. Impressed by Sommers sense of humor, Henry immediately offered him a place at court. He was soon in high favour with the king, which has been testified by the accounts of the royal household. Sommers remained in the King's service for the rest of Henry's life, and during the king's later years, when he was troubled a painful foot condition, it was found that only Sommers could lift his morale. Will was also a man of integrity and discretion. Thomas Cromwell, the 1st Earl of Essex, appreciated that he sometimes drew the King's attention to extravagance and waste in the household by means of a joke.
Court jesters were permitted familiarities that no other person had at court and Sommers had a shrewd wit that he exercised regularly.
After Henry's death, Will remained at court, mainly in a ceremonial role under Mary 1st and as a personal sidekick to her fool, Jane. He was reputed to be one of only two men who could make Mary laugh!
Will's last public event was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 1st, when he retired. He was probably the William Sommers whose death is recorded in the parish of St Leonards. Shoreditch on June 15th 1560.
Will Sommers, Court Jester to King Henry V111
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